Monday, September 29, 2008

Tonight at 10pm VH1 will debut the 100 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs which will conclude with taking Public Enemy's "Fight the Power" taking the top spot.

No. 2 goes Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight," followed by Dr. Dre's "Nuthin but a 'G' Thang", Run-D.M.C.'s "Walk This Way" with Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's "The Message" rounding out the top five.

Salt 'N Pepa was the only female act in the top 10, with their early hit "Push It". Two of rap's biggest names — Jay-Z and Eminem — did not make the top 10, though they are in the top 20, while the Wu-Tang clan got three songs in the 100.

Tell us what you think of the countdown as well as by give us you favorite Top 10 Hip Hop songs of all time.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

In a day and time where beats and voice machines are the rule rather than the exception, Raphael Saadiq has created a song that reminds you of a time where strong songwriting and lush melodies dominated the charts.

Though the chances "Love that Girl" being played on "Hip Hop and R&B" without a remix are quite slim, Saadiq should be commended for taking a musical chance; Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson should be very proud of the Oakland native for crafting a song, instead of creating a ringtone hit. --Kevin Lockett

""Biggie and Sean came to my house one day and ['Juicy'] was playing on my drum machine," revealed Pete Rock. "Biggie thought I was making it for C.L. [Smooth]. When I told him I was just making it for myself, he immediately wanted it. I said sure, but didn’t think much of it. Then, next thing I know, I heard it playing somewhere. I’m over it now though."

In preparation of tonight's presidential debate between Barack Obama and John McCain (That's if McCain shows up), here's the most recent interview John McCain's running mate Sarah Palin did with Katie Couric of CBS News.

Like with her ABC interview with Charlie Gibson, Palin doesn't come across as person who might become the second most powerful person in the U.S.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

There is a recent AP-Yahoo poll that said that Barack Obama is receiving nearly 60% support from Hillary Rodham Clinton voters, while the rest is either leaning towards John McCain or not voting at all (Poll: Obama struggling to win over Clinton voters).

This is a joke right?

There are foreclosures all over the place. Unemployment is up (and those are probably a lot higher). The war in Iraq rages on with NO exit plan sight, while insurance companies are crashing and burning like the Hindenberg. Yet, Barack Obama is not connecting with all Hillary Clinton supporters? Are you kidding me!?!

Let me say this, if a person voted for Hillary Clinton in the primary and are now either undecided or leaning towards John McCain for president, they deserve to lose their jobs or homes if he is elected president.

Okay that was a bit harsh, but come on.

Is it because of John McCain's a Vietnam hero? If that is the case, how come John Kerry did not win the presidency in 2004?

Is it because John McCain chose a "Hockey Mom" from Alaska as his running mate? If so, how come John McCain did not choose Martha Stewart? White women seem to like her and Martha Stewart has probably traveled the probably world many times over, unlike McCain’s running mate, Governor Palin who just received her passport a few weeks ago.

The indecision of these Democrats/Independents voters is the very reason why Republicans always seem to win because they uniformly support their own. Do you honestly think that the Republicans wanted John McCain as their nominee? They did not.

The Republicans were enamored with Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney. However, once it became clear the McCain was going to be the nominee, they rallied around him; well sort of until Sarah Palin joined the ticket with a gun in one hand and lipstick in the other and now John McCain is now a stronger contender for the Presidency.

So why would anyone who voted for Hillary Clinton or make less than $250,000 a year vote John McCain?

Do they actually think that if John McCain becomes president that he will go to his rich friends and tell them that he is going to repeal their tax cuts to help the middle class and the poor? Fat chance, I got a better chance on going on date with Kerry Washington, (which could happen if she reads this blog).

Which brings me back to my question: Why would anyone who voted for Hillary Clinton or make less than $250,000 a year vote for John McCain? Well, it comes down to either:

A.) Hillary Clinton voters hope that Obama loses to McCain and she would run in 2012 B.) Obama's Race

Choice A. is foolish because neither Hillary Clinton nor any of us knows what we will be doing in four years, so during that time the rich will become even richer and the poor will definitely become poorer. Therefore, answer has to be B. Obama's race.

Here's a news flash to some of those voters, Barack Obama has been a African-American for a long time. Unless he gets a case of vitiligo like Michael Jackson, his skin is not going to change any time soon.

I am not going to paint these undecided voters with a broad brush because I honestly believe that most Americans will not factor race in their decision making for president, but unfortunately there are still a faction Americans who only see African Americans as merely athletes or performers.

We are at place in history where racism might not be eradicated, but pushed farther away from America's despicable past. We are at a place in history, where we can chart a brighter course for America's future.

I am not saying that Barack Obama will be the best president ever or that he will be able to fix all our problems as a nation, but I do know that:

A.) He is highly intelligentB.) He knows how to put a strong teamC.) He already has the respect of foreign leaders and the worldD.) He cares about middle class and poor people

The very same middle class and poor people that might doom his run for the presidency due to their own ignorance. People, the man grew up with a single mother and until recently had massive student loans, he gets it.

If elected, Obama will be a president for all people, not just people of color. He understands our every day struggles, because he struggled like us only a few years ago.

Plus, I hope the success of an Obama presidency will help spur the downward trend of African American men in leadership positions, (If you have an issue with my last statement, go your office tomorrow and count how many men of color are leading a department or at least hold a significant position in your company).

People, this country is in a mess!

There is no time for petty arguments or trivial thoughts.

The next President of the United States will either make or break this country economically, internationally and judicially (the next president will name at least two people to the Supreme Court).

So when you are standing alone in that voting booth on November 4th, be smart people and think, not just for yourself, but for your children and their children; because this election is too important to blow it over prejudice or spite.

This biopic from executive producer Sean “Diddy” Combs explores the life and death of East Coast rapper Notorious B.I.G. Newcomer Jamal Woolard stars as Biggie Smalls, but big names fill out the rest of the cast: Angela Bassett plays the rapper’s mother, Derek Luke costars as Combs, and Anthony Mackie plays rival Tupac Shakur. Bassett’s real life counterpart, Voletta Wallace, acts as one of the film’s producers. (Source)

These two remixes below sealed Pete Rock's legendary stautus because he did the unthinkable, making classics out of classics.

Anybody who can take House of Pain's energetic "Jump Around" and Public Enemy's booming "Shut'em Down , strip them down to their bare essence and remake them into even bigger classics deserves to be called a legend.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

WASHINGTON (AP) — Deep-seated racial misgivings could cost Barack Obama the White House if the election is close, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks — many calling them "lazy," "violent," responsible for their own troubles.

The poll, conducted with Stanford University, suggests that the percentage of voters who may turn away from Obama because of his race could easily be larger than the final difference between the candidates in 2004 — about two and one-half percentage points.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Welcome to another installment of “Respect The DJ”, this time around Pete Rock is on the boards. Born Peter Phillips from Mount Vernon, NY, Pete Rock is by far one of the illest DJ/Producers ever to grace a turntable. His songs with ex-partner CL Smooth? Legendary. His production with his trademark horn loops? Classics. His music today? exceptional!

For young heads, I'm glad that you will experience bits and pieces of "The Chocolate Boy Wonder's" legacy. But do us a favor, ask your big brother, father, uncle what is like to hear a new Pete Rock joint back in the day and watch them get a big smile come over their face. Why? Because Pete Rock's songs were not just hits on the radio like Akon or T-Pain, they were musical events and to be honest and in a lot of ways, hip hop hasn't been the same since.

Below are few samples of some of great work Pete Rock did with his former partner C.L. Smooth.

Their biggest hit They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) isn’t represented here because I wanted to spotlight some tracks that y'all might have forgotten or never heard before, enjoy!

--Kevin Lockett

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth The Creator

Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - One In A Million (Poetic Justice Soundtrack)>

Sunday, September 21, 2008

After Spike Lee criticized Clint Eastwood for not having any Afrcian American soliders in his World War II films "Flags of Our Father" and "Letters from Iwo Jima", Lee decided to create his own film spotlighting the contributions and sacrafices made by Blacks and Latinos in WWII called "Miracle at St. Anna".

The story takes place in the Tuscan village of Sant’Anna di Stazzema, where on On Aug. 12, 1944, a massacre took place where a Nazi battalion gunned down 560 men, women and children.

This week was not supposed to be called "Q-Tip Week", however, The Abstract Poet has so many things cooking right now that it was impossible to have only one or two posts. Some of you might've heard this stuff before , others may not, but its all great music.

"Q-Tip Week" officially begins today with the re-posting of his song "Gettin Up" with a just released video. Enjoy!!!

LOS ANGELES (AP) — BET entertainment chief Reginald Hudlin, who boosted original programming at the channel known for music videos and reruns, is leaving the company, BET Networks said Thursday. Hudlin is returning to his "entrepreneurial roots" as an independent producer, according to an internal memo Thursday from BET Chairwoman and CEO Debra Lee that was released publicly by BET.http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hiZxY-mhhJrM_t7M1xxdyAy2dwDAD934RNQ81

Do you think Reginald Hudlin leaving BET will make a difference in its programming, especially since some of key people who were at BET before Hudlin like Executive Vice President of Entertainment and Music Programming Stephen Hill and CEO DEbra Lee are still running the netowrk? Let us know in our comment section.

Scene Magazine, 9/4/08First Akron Hip Hop Showcase In booking old school-rappers Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick to perform at what they're calling the "1st Akron Hip Hop Showcase," the guys at the local nonprofit advocacy organization Keepers of the Art hope to hark back to hip-hop's founding principles. "The idea came from just wanting to share true school hip-hop with our peers in Akron and Northeast Ohio," says Keepers Executive Director Ismail Al-Amin. "The true hip-hop isn't showcased on mainstream radio and on MTV. The idea is to educate, innovate and inspire. Lock 3 does a good job of diversifying its program, but there is a socially conscious young professional who's also been inspired by hip-hop, and we want to provide an outlet for them. We're telling parents to bring their children and children to bring their parents." Given that the showcase will also feature DJ Mick Boogie manning the turntables while a slew of graffiti artists and B-boys do their thing, there should be plenty for fans of all ages to enjoy. Doors open at 3 p.m. at Lock 3 Live (200 S. Main St., Akron) and tickets are $5. - Jeff Niesel http://clevescene.com/stories/15/70/your-weekly-concert-previews

Last night at the Republican National Conference, former beauty queen runner up turned Republican V.P. nominee, Sarah Palin as well as 911 racketeer...err ex- Mayor of New York City Rudy Giuliani, criticized Senator Barack Obama's background as a community organizer; their mocking of Obama led to chorus of laughter coming from the GOP audience.

Contrary to Republican’s asinine beliefs, Community Organizers are probably some of most patriotic people in the United States. Usually with little pay and at times a very small staff, community organizers assist people with jobs, healthcare, unemployment, credit issues, law suits, homelessness, HIV/AIDS, child care, environmental issues, crime, discrimination, education and more including spurring movements to change laws.

The reason community organizers do this is because they realize people who are in despair either don't know where to find help or have the finances to assist them out of a crisis.

Judging by Governor Palin's remarks, she hasn't really helped anybody but herself. But let’s be fair. Courtesy of AP, let's compare Barack Obamas background to Sarah Palin and let's see who has better qualifications:

Obama: B.A in political science from Columbia University, with a specialization in international relations; J.D. in Law from Harvard, graduated magna cum laude; President of the Harvard Law Review; 12 years (92-04) teaching constitutional law; 7 years State Senator: sponsored more than 800 bills; 4 years Senator for Illinois, a state with 12.8 million people

Palin: Bachelor's in journalism from University of Idaho; 4 years Wasilla City Council (8000 people); 6 years Wasilla mayor (8000 people); 1 year "Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission; 20 months governor of a state with 660,000 people.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Sorry about the bad youtube clip on the previous post folks. Below is the clip of the KRS One and Soulja Boy interview together on Rap City.

It is encourging that Souja Boy did meet with "The Teacher", but like father talking to a son, it might take a few years before the ringstone star fully understands what KRS is trying to teach him about hip hop and life. ---Kevin Lockett